#reaktor5

thetapelessworld Interview with Blinksonic

thetapelessworld Interview with Blinksonic

Here is an Interview we did with Sylvain Stoppani of Blinksonic. Blinksonic make 3rd Party Device for Native Instruments Reaktor plugin. BlinkSonic currently have 4 Commercial Products Ruidoz Electrtonic Percussion Mangler, Aetonz Hybrid Polytonal Sampler, Substanz Beatmaking Station, and Voz Virtual Vocal Generator.  Blinksonics Devices are great for all Modern Producers. First I love the Gui’s their modern and easy to use and understand. It’s also very easy to take a preset and turn it into something unique. All Blinksonic Devices are unique and can bring something special to your music productions. And thanks to Reaktor framework its easy to use your own Samples to further customize Blinksonic devices to make original content. These Devices belong in any Electronic Musicians or Sound Designers Toolbox. So be sure to Check out their Products.

https://www.blinksonic.com/

https://www.blinksonic.com/blog/

https://www.blinksonic.com/about/

So on to Blinksonic Interview

What got you interested in music?

Music is such essential and important for me since my youngest age, that I finally forgot what’s kept me interested at the early beginning. Probably the possibility to escape, to let off steam, to express oneself, to mentally visualize kind of images and representations through sounds ... In the auditory field of our perceptions, music and more precisely sounds, are a powerful vector for communication. Whatever the mother tongue, I tend to think that we should not look any further to find a form of audible universal language.

 Do you remember the first piece of music that moved you? And how has that influenced you?

Very early, my parents gifted me a slot-in record player with a whole collection of 45 rpm vinyl disks for kids. I remember owning a lot of Japanese manga music (Captain Harlock, Grendizer, Captain Future ), French cartoon ( still have a strong remembering of the introduction of « The Mysterious Cities of Gold »  anime ) and also some original soundtracks of children's movie like E.T.

It really took me out and it was a great time !

Much later as a teenager, I loved listening/dreaming with headphones to psychedelic rock of the 60s, 70s.

Like many young person who only had access to pop music (before internet), I was fascinated by the ability to play with sounds and turn noise into art as did guitarists like Jimi Hendrix.

I also loved the energy that emanate from some bands, more or less extreme, indie rock and metal of the 90s.

My attraction to the sound is certainly wrought through larsen/feedback screams’ and a lot of sound effects abuse. I always have been fascinated by sequences that suggest emotions not describable via a riff or melodies. The way Sonic Youth was creating chaotic guitar parts on some moments of their tracks, impressed me a lot.

Thanks to my discovery of hip hop, I also have been very quickly interested in the art of sampling.

It was much later that I came across electronic music.

Aphex Twin - Come to daddy is a EP that definitely brings me to this playground as a musician and music lover, as much this record brought together stylistic elements that I loved to hear together.

 What are some of your favorite musicians, composers or sound Designers. and does that influence Blinksonic?

All the early and actual catalogue of Rephlex, Schematic, Skam, Planet Mu, Mego, Ghostly, Raster Noton and Warp Records… Really did my school days by listening to their releases.

I feel linked to Richard Devine which was the first to support me. I love the way he makes beats, this unique techno-organic rhythmical time signatures only him have the secret !

The sound designers who impresse me the most are also both good composers and live performers… I love the very versatile fantasy brings by Otto Von Schirach.

Today however I am a little less connected than before, there’s every month excellent stuff that comes out and it's not easy to be aware.

It takes time and I rather be focused on my own work.

However on artists more or less recent, I like VHS Head, Meat Bingo, Com Truise, Kelpe, Patten, Vaetxh (aka Rob Clouth), Freeform, Cristian Vogel, Baby Kruger and Freeka Tet.

There are many artists I admire for their talent of crafting their own sounds and merging the music with other artistic practices.

I like composer that can tell a story, not only with melodic structure but with the expressive power of sounds.

 What made you decide to start making Reaktor Ensembles?

I mostly use Ableton Live until the beginning (from 2002) and I have always used Reaktor since version 3, to provide myself with sound contents, which I mount and arrange thereafter in Live.

I quickly realized that I had a tool as powerful as it was original. I have almost learned with it more about synthesis and sound processing than on any other platform or hardware instrument.

At first, modifying the existing ensembles, I ended up doing mine. I have always wanted to generate my music from a custom interpretation process .. and Reaktor is perfect for this.

After a lot of experiences and discographic projects more or less discreet and anonymous, I started to find that the diffusion of my creations did not meet the format of diffusion that I wished ..

It was not enough adapted to the way I work and the things I wanted to express in music production. I wished a more interactive diffusion which would include the process of creation itself, and not something locked/achieved in time as a classic EP or LP format. I wanted something that let the structural forms of the composition to be possibly autonomous or manipulable.

That's what led me to release the first version of RUIDOZ° with many presets included .. like pieces of an album that was not completely achieved… A sound material which aims to be eternally modified by end users.

  What makes you stick out from other developers. What is Blinksonic doing that others are not?

Maybe precisely the singular character of this approach. I do not propose an algorithmic killer way to make music but rather an original playable sound environment.

According to the inspiration and the technical level, I think we can use these tools as something serious .. but also as an interactive trip that you open as a video game :D And it’s also a collection of ideas that only wait to be incorporated inside tracks..

Beyond that, I must remain humble, I am new in this field.. lots of things to learn yet..

But I think my main asset is to offer a successful and unique user experience.

Many Reaktor instruments have not been enough achieved at the graphic interface level to become really interesting.

A good instrument is not only an instrument that sounds good. It must be take in hands in the best way possible for taking advantage of it.

The GUI really did the difference even if it can be considered as secondary for a sound making tool. With screen technologies, this the interface which provides this feeling and helps being inspired.

In computer music and in term of algorithm, nothing is really new actually, apart the renewal of graphical interfaces and some new integrations of concepts related to spectrum analysis and processing, artificial intelligence and machine learning. I have the impression that developers are more focused to recycle algorithms on making them more tangible and improving the usability of applications, making them more convenient and easier, more immediate and fun.

 Aside from the visual aspect of my instruments, I think it’s the stylistic orientation suggested and the non academic character that makes the difference and helps my work to meet an audience. I work alone so it's also a form of freedom, with no limit or drastic specifications to respect. I walk through inspiration .. and always with the intention to provide my own arsenal .. for a bit that one day I stop developing to try to use my tools to compose or interpret music again :-D

 What direction do you see yourself taking Blinksonic?

It's pretty vague at the moment, because I have a lot of ideas and it still necessary to choose the good ones .. I would like for example to release album concepts or EP based on Reaktor.

I really like the idea of using Reaktor as a final format for broadcasting a musical work with a graphical interface which aims to manipulate it in real time, play and illustrate the universe described by the music ...

A similar trip to the Demomakers or, I do not know if you remember it, this R3-based application, called « Mewark - Stoderaft » by Lazyfish that NI released for free in the early 2000’s.

At that time, I was fascinated by this futuristic music diffusion concept !

I also dream to be able to produce an hardware effect in a close futur…

 Also gotta say love the Interfaces of your devices. What influenced them and do you also like design?

Thanks!

I am generally influenced by any technological objects that are currently offered to us and I am directly influenced by current trends around what we can call "tablet design" and « industriel design ».  I also love the work on HUD/GUI for sci fi movies.

Today, we all have in hands smartphones and all the user experiences that goes with it, with the most minimalist design possible, infographic that responds to information codes of representations. I am influenced by this and I completely abandon skeumorphic and realistic graphic models. It looks gorgeous but it tends to not be readable and practical as the original emulated hardware are.

Flat design is not just a trend. It really brings something more optimized and kind of technological elegance to applications and well suited for screens.

This said, I am not against bringing back some shadows as « Material Design » suggest it.

In all case, I am very focused on all the possible trends and field of development that can improve the User Experience of an application. So I watch a lot what happens in that domain.

 Is there a designer, Art or Software developer that influenced your GUI's.

I am always amazed by the design work of Teenage Engineering. It must be felt on my own work that they influenced me. :)

To my eyes, it’s truly THE way to of designing. This vision of graphically illustrate technical sound parameters in a scalable way… I love the idea that the symbol or the icon to become the object of control.

In pure software design on audio, I love Sugar Bytes, Sinevibes, Audio Damage, iZotope, FAW, Unfiltered Audio and obviously many instruments edited by NI.

Last but not least, I can’t forget to mention Thomas Hennebert (Inear Display) and Ivo Ivanov (Glitchmachines). I feel also very close to their vision of sound design.

 What are your 5 favorite Reaktor Ensembles (non Blinksonic) that you like or wish you made ?

RAZOR !! This the killer one !! it is timeless .. I dream that someday this synth will be replicated as an identical hardware! It would be crazy!

ROUNDS is an amazing instrument too !

NODE by Antonio Bianca.. it's so small and fine, beautiful, effective and inspiring at the same time ..

The FLOW by Tim exile.. also GRAINCUBE ..

There is plenty which I love and I certainly forget .. SPACEDRONE, METAPHYSICALL FUNCTION ...

Ah yes probably the one that I particularly like .. a very old one, TRAVELIZER from the original library of R4 ... I found it crazy to be able to manipulate a wave file that way when I discover it !

  Do you have a favorite Reaktor Ensemble Developer (non Blinksonic)?

I think that Sasha Lazyfish is above any hierarchy. He invented a lot of things in the early beginning of Reaktor that still inspire me.

I also have a lot of respect for Twisted Tools. They were the first to release premium ensembles with the same quality of a AU/VST plugin. They injected on their instruments and effects such singular method to produce electronic music with always a both forward thinking GUI.

I can not forget to mention Tim Exile, but he’s out of any category… This guy is cracked of talent and naturally inspired !

I was going to forget Antonio Bianca. But it's people everybody knows ! :D

 I love this artist called « Even Iter » whose sharing amazing generative ensembles on the User Library. All ensembles always contain geometrical visualizations of sounds, generated and drawn via Reaktor coding.

 And since the Blocks framework advent, I am keep a lot of attention on COLUGO_ stuffs.

I also have been lucky enough to collaborate with Sandy Small, who has rebuilded in Core most of the structure off my block PROCESSORZ°. 

Sandy is as accurate and logical as he’s brilliant.

 Which BLinksonic Ensemble are you most proud of ?

I think VOZ brings something special, it looks a bit like OUTPUT EXHALE, but the concept is pushed a little further with the ability to randomly change samples from a limited range of incoming notes. This is not my most popular instrument, but it's the one I find the most achieved and powerful .

With this semi modular approach ported to a tone sampler, I regularly discover many new ways to use it and create textures. The sound bank compiles 15 years sound recordings of my voice, so it’s necessarily something special for me. It gives a strange second life to the provided vocal formants.

  What's are some of your favorite hardware or Software gear to process samples?

As mentioned above, and beyond the design aspect, I am conquered by the OP-1 of TE. This kind of "soft" sampler never existed before on hardware , or in any case, not in this compact format . I’m waiting for the OP-Z with the same excitement as kid during Christmas.

As much as I am unconditional of Ableton, I recently put my fingers on MASCHINE, there is room for it to become a complete DAW, but besides that, I think it's the best software sampler on the market today. The functions to handle audio slices, the maneuverability + an app that comes with a controller. I really observe with a deep interest all the coming new features and improvements that will be implement to it.

Otherwise, I watch with attention also New Sonic Art, James Walker Hall is a pure developer  and also SoundGuru « the Mangler » is extremely attractive concept ..

An also ! ... The impossible to forget sampler, but unfortunately only available on iOS: SAMPLR. I can spend hours on it, it's very intuitive and fun to play !

 What are some of your most used plugins and what do you use them for?

I already mention some of them above. As much as I observe and test everything possible that exist on the market, but I keep the same habits, and come back very often to the same tools.

By cons, I also use some additional hardware, like my old subtractive synth CRUMAR BIT 99, a kind of JUNO, very typical eighty sounds and I recently acquired the 2 Nozoïd synthesizer. (nozoid.com) They are amazing !! By the way, for the sound quality but also for their modular design in a compact format. I will never have been able to mount an Eurorack with the equal features for the same price.

  Are you working on something that you would like to tells us about?

I can’t say a lot about it but I hope to come back this next spring with a new concept of instrument. I am actually inside development days, and even if I have my idea, I don’t know myself what kind of sonic craziness it will be at the end ;)

Apart this I will participate to the next NATIVE SESSIONS called FUTURE TECHNIQUES, the 17th February, in Paris. I will perform with my instruments and give a short masterclass.

For Info on Native Session: https://www.native-instruments.com/fr/community/native-sessions/native-sessions-future-techniques-2018/

Twisted Tools Holiday Sale is Here Save 33% now thru Dec 31st 

Twisted Tools Holiday Sale is Here Save 33% Storewide now thru Dec 31st 

Go Grab Some Great Sample Packs and Reaktor Ensembles. Twisted Tools Make Great Next Gen Effects and Libraries.

SAVE 33% on all products at Twisted Tools. now through December 31st, 2017. Just head over to Twisted Tools and start shopping where you'll see the discounts applied automatically in your shopping cart.

http://twistedtools.com/

Heavyocity Grid II  Final 3 Days of Intro Price

Just three More Days to Get Grid II, a 8 Voice synth Sequencer.

GRID II

GRID II is a sound sequencer.

Most sequenced instruments are either based on triggering individual sounds (drum machines), or triggering different notes from one sound source (like a sequenced synthesizer). But GRID II takes a hybrid approach: its two main modes enable it to be used as both a sequenced instrument and a played synth, though it is neither directly designed for percussion, nor melody. The instrument was designed for discovery, for experimentation, and for creativity.

This was the fundamental concept behind GRID II - that it can be whatever you make of it.

Using GRID II

GRID II uses 8 voices to produce its sound, but direct control over these voices was purposefully kept to a minimum. Instead, you control the relationship between the voices to sculpt the output; ranging from synthetic percussion to morphing synths, from glitched noise to pulsing drones.

Because of this, controlling GRID II can sometimes feel like an abstract experience, though it is not random. The minimalistic controls require that you collaborate with the instrument, rather than use it as a tool to get a job done, opening up new sonic landscapes with each patch, each pattern, each preset.

Flexibility

The sound sources of GRID II are best suited for minimal and electronic music, but the instrument also has a nasty, glitchy side for those who love noise. Fill the grid to start your sequence, feed the signal back on itself to transform the sound into something completely different. Complex patterns. Rhythmic synth beds. Abstract Percussion. The heart of GRID II is experimentation, so it will find a place in any genre… if you touch it the right way.